Transcendental Self in Upanishad and Greek Philosophy

Abstract

The concept of the self has posed a persistent challenge throughout the history of philosophy. Both modern and Postmodern theories of self have either outright rejected it or struggled to grasp its essence. In this paper, I endeavour to revisit the Greek and Upanishadic traditions to gain insight into the true nature of the self. Despite their differences, these two traditions share a common thread: they define the self in relation to its transcendental realm. The central hypothesis of this paper is to argue that in order to truly understand the nature of the self, it is imperative to consider it in its holistic entirety, which necessarily involves acknowledging the transcendental sphere of the self.